Excellent Winery in Anderson Valley

My colleagues at Wine Review Online hit the nail on the head in their review of the small, family-owned, Anderson Valley winery, Navarro. I'm reproducing some of their post here, but check out the whole post for a more complete report. It's definitely a hike to get here, but I think it's worth the trek.

My Anderson Valley darling of the moment, however, is Navarro Vineyards. An extremely small family run business, Navarro has been delivering at a very high standard since the 1970s. Almost all of its wines are sold direct, so the easiest way to find them is online at www.navarrowine.com.

Navarro was recently named Winery of the Year for the Western United States for its performance at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition (www.criticschallenge.com). Navarro took 11 awards, including two Platinums (for its 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, $32, and its 2006 Cluster Select Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, $59) and three Golds.

Navarro has always had a measure of renown for its work with aromatic whites such as Gewurztraminer and Riesling, but more recently has gained recognition for its reds. The Cabernet displays exceptional concentration and persistence of flavor while maintaining impeccable balance, which is a somewhat unique feature in today's world of California Cabernet.

Best view from a winery in Sonoma County--and the wine isn't half bad either

Pairing good wine with sweeping vineyard views is not the easiest task, but Iron Horse Vineyards has got it down pat. This winery has a pleasant outdoor bar at the top of a hill with panoramic views of the surrounding hills, covered, at least at this time of year, with budding vines. Standing at the tasting bar, it was a difficult decision whether to chat with the pourer or turn around and gaze northward across the neighboring vineyards. The lines of palm trees at the top of the hill reminded me of Stanford University's Palm Drive--quite an memorable sight. I'm not sure what the scene would be like during the winter months, though. It looked like they had a temporary enclosure prepared around the tasting bar for whenever the weather gets inclement. One negative--the winery is missing a picnic area to sit and enjoy your wine with a small snack.

Iron Horse makes both sparkling and still wines, so it's a nice mixture for early in the afternoon. As at many other local wineries, Iron Horse makes a trendy Rose de Pinot Noir which was quite tasty. Their un-oaked chardonnay was excellent as well.

Also--another great feature of this winery is their free tastings with the Visa Signature card, something I've blogged about before.

Cheers!

Avoiding the corny side of Napa: finding the hidden gems of the Napa Valley

A few tips to help you see the real, authentic beauty of Napa Valley and avoid those cliche moments. This blog post is culled from my own experience and those of other bloggers.

1. Come in the middle of the week. I almost feel like this piece of advice is like Barack Obama's suggestion that we should all keep our tires inflated to save on gas. It's so obvious, and works so effectively to avoid the crowds. People living and working in the Bay Area may not be able to get away from Monday-Friday, but out of town visitors should be able to swing it. Plan your San Francisco itinerary so that you visit wine country during the week.


2. Avoid the Wine Train at all costs. Yes, there are benefits, including not having to drink and drive. But if you're drinking that much wine you're not tasting it anymore, are you? The Napa Valley Wine Train is incredibly overpriced and skips all the little interesting wineries along the way. Hilariously, their website says that "numerous wineries can be seen through the large picture windows on board the Wine Train." Trust me, that isn't the way you want to see Napa Valley. Instead, try cycling with a company like Napa Valley Bike Tours . A one day hybrid bike rental is only $30.
   
   For those who haven't been here before--wineries are literally one next to the other on roads like Silverado Trail and Highway 28. So cycling from winery to winery isn't just beautiful, it's incredibly easy. The roads are largely flat, especially if you wanted to take the same route as the Wine Train. Honestly, no matter what your fitness level, cycling is more enjoyable than the Wine Train.


3. After you've done the wine thing, try out some other natural product the region has to offer, like visiting an olive or apple orchard. Take a look at this New York Times article about olive oil, for example. McEvoy Ranch is probably the largest olive grower, but there are definitely others. If you're here in the summer or early fall, you'll definitely want to sample fresh produce at a local farmer's market.
   


4. Have a picnic (with your farmer's market goodies). All the instructions are here.

Good luck, and have a great time in Napa County!

The General's Daughter (Sonoma) to close on 1 Aug

Foodies have been eating with delight at The General's Daughter in Sonoma for many years. However, sonomanews.com is reporting that the Sonoma County mainstay will close on Aug 1 and will be replaced by a new restaurant, Estate, in the same location. Owner Sondra Bernstein, who also runs the well-liked local restaurants The Girl and the Fig and Fig Cafe, said that the Estate menu will explore the realm of Italian-Mediterranean food. Should be delicious...although it's sad to see The General's Daughter go.

Picnicking in Style: a how-to guide for visitors who want to eat on-the-go in Napa or Sonoma

As a wine country resident, people frequently ask me for advice about picnicking (mostly for lunch) while they're visiting wine country. It's no secret that even for lunch the restaurants in the area are fairly pricey--you're paying a premium for the ambiance. That's evident in Healdsburg and Napa more than anywhere else. But never fear--picnicking is a viable option, can save you a chunk of cash, and will allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery. To do it well, you'll need (1) a healthy and delicious food shop, and (2) a comfortable place to eat.

Buying picnic food

A whole bunch of wineries have food stores where you can buy the prototypical wine country foods--wine, cheese, meats, baguettes, olives and fresh veggies. My favorites are:

• Chateau St. Jean (Sonoma)
• V. Sattui (Napa)
• Oakville Grocery (not a winery, but a great store in both counties)
• Whole Foods (delicious deli takeout, very wide selection)
• Ledson Winery (Sonoma)

Eating Comfortably
If you're sitting on the grounds of a winery to eat lunch, it is generally proper etiquette to have purchased a bottle of their wine to complement the food. Of the wineries listed above with excellent delis, I most enjoy the wine at Chateau St. Jean (I have also posted to this effect on the TripAdvisor Sonoma forum, a great local resource). The wineries listed above also have space to sit and eat, although watch out for the loud and annoying Wine Train driving by V. Sattui. A picture of the picnic area at V. Sattui is shown at right. There are also beautiful town greens in Santa Rosa, Napa and Sonoma, although this doesn't give you the "eating amongst the vines" feel.

Good luck, and happy picnicking!

Been away for a couple of weeks while traveling, but I have a really useful link for my readers today from my friends at winecountry.com. Click the link to see an interesting wine tasting itinerary for one of the least touristed areas in Wine Country, Alexander Valley. This area is just north of Healdsburg (see a map), which means it's somewhat further away from the SF area than other spots. But if you've been to Wine Country once or twice before, you'll definitely want to make the hike up to the Alexander Valley. Couple of notes about the itinerary given in the link:

• Rosso & Bianco--if you really like their wines, you can try their restaurant in downtown Palo Alto as well. Both are run by well-known director Francis Ford Coppola.
• Stryker--the zin is fantastic. This general area is known for Zinfandel as well.

Happy tasting!

Insider Secrets--Sonoma County

Thought I'd share with you another of my favorite sites--the Local Secrets section on Insider's Sonoma County. I try a new "local secret" every month or so. Here's one post they definitely got right: best winery hike is at Bartholomew Winery in Sonoma. On a clear day you can actually see the golden gate bridge, a real treat. Obviously, going during the harvest season makes the walk even more pleasant, as you can see the grapes growing on the vines. There's also a museum, which I can't comment on because I haven't been there.

Plenty of space here for a picnic, although I wouldn't come out of your way for the wines, which are average. Overall, I think the scenery is quite good and worth a look for those who want that vineyard-hiking experience. There are some pictures from a fellow blogger, here.